Shoe-form.



No. 633,293. Patented Sept. |9,-|'a99.

W. L. C. NILES.

SHOE FORM.

(Application filed 1m. 14, 1398.

(No Model.)

In: -onms PEYCRS co, PNDfO-LITHO, WASHINGTON, n, c

UNITED STATES PATENT Fr es.

IVALTER L. C. NILES, OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO THOMAS W. GARDINER, OF SAME PLACE.

SHOE-FORM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 633,293, dated September 19, 1899.

Application filed December 14. 1898- Serial No. 699,236. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WALTER L. C. NILES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lynn, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shoe-Forms; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to shoe-forms for boots and shoes, and more particularly to I hollow forms adapted to be inserted in boots and shoes for the purpose of filling out and giving shape to the upper of a boot or shoe while displaying the same either in sample,- cases or show-windows.

The object of the present invention is to produce a hollow display-form for boots and shoes so constructed and arranged as to facilitate its ready insertion into and removal from a boot or shoe and to insure the maintaining of the parts of the form in proper operative relation while in the shoe.

To the above end the present invention consists in the improved hollow shoe-form hereinafter described, and more particularly set forth in the claims.-

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating the preferred form of my invention, Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the bottom. Fig. 3 is an elevation of the rear portion, and Fig. 4 is atop plan View of my improved shoe-form shown with the rear portion telescoped into the fore-part section of the same.

Similar reference characters are employed throughout to designate corresponding parts in the several views.

1 indicates the fore-part section of my improved form, which is made of a single piece of any suitable thin but strong material, such as sheet metal or paper or leather board. The edges of the blank forming the fore-part section are united together on the medial line of the bottomaportion of the same in any suitable manner, as by means of a suitable uniting-strip 3, to which the contiguous edges of the material are secured by riveting the same thereto by means of the rivets 4. The rear part of the shank portion is preferably cut away to leave the open space 5 for a purpose hereinafter set forth. The heel-section 6 of my form is made of the same material as the fore-part section, shaped to the desired form. 5 5 In practice I make the fore-part and heel-part sections in one piece and then cut them apart on the desired dividing-line; but the two sections may be made separately, if desired, as

the method of making them forms no part of the present invention. In the illustrated embodiment of my heel-section I have shown it as made of two pieces of material.

The present invention contemplates making either or both of the sections compressible or expansihle, so that one section may telescope within the other to shorten the form. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention I have shown the heel-section as elastic and compressible and have provided the same with the spring 7, attached at its ends, as at 8, to the upper front margins of the heel-section, being thence extended downwardly adjacent to the front edges of said heel-section and along the front edge of the bottom of the same, which, together with the inherent elasticity of the material, constitutes means for restoring the compressed section to its normal size.

Any suitable means may be employed for preventing the spring 7 from pressing the sides of the heel-section outwardly beyond the level of the corresponding portion of the fore-part section, but I preferably employ projections 9, made integral with the ends of the spring and projected forwardly from the rivets 8 into the inside of the rear portion of the fore-part section.

It is to be observed that it is entirely within the purview of my invention to make the two sections of my shoe-form in separate pieces. In such case the one part of the shoe-form will be telescoped within the other part and the form will be inserted in the shoe. Then the one part will be withdrawn from. within 5 the other, and when withdrawn it will expand to its normal size, and the edges of the two parts will abut against each other and be thus sustained in operative position. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention the spring 7 and the inherent elasticity of the heel-part section will hold the section expauded so that its edge shall abut against the edge of the fore-part section. The pressure of the shoe upon the parts of the form will hold them in the desired relation to each other. So, while it is not necessary that the two parts of the shoe-form should have any means for connecting them, in ordinary practice I have found it preferable to attach them together by suitable means which will permit one section to telescope within the other. To this end in the illustrated embodiment of my invention I have shown a slotted spring 10, secured to the bottom of the fore-part section and preferably made integral with the uniting-strip 3, which spring is projected rearwardly into the heel-section, where it is received by a guide 11, secured to the bottom of the heel-section and through which the spring is adapted to slide freely until the end of the slot 12 brings up against the pin 13.

\Vhen it is desired to insert the shoe-form in a boot or shoe, the upper part of the heelsection will be compressed against the inherent elasticity of the material and the action of the spring 7 or the fore-part section will be compressed vertically to expand it in size, or both, and at the same time the whole heel-section 6 will be raised, so that the heelsection may enter the fore-part section and slide into the same. The cutting away of the rear part of the shank of the fore-part section permits this to be accomplished Without lifting the heel-section so much as would be required if the fore-part section was not cut away at 5 in the manner shown.

\Vhile I have described the heel-section as being compressible, so that it may telescope within the fore-part sect-ion in order to shorten the form and facilitate its ready introduction into or removal from the shoe into which it is desired to insert or from which it is desired to remove the same, I do not desire to limit myself precisely to that form of shoe-form, as my invention contemplates, broadly, any construction of shoe-form which will permit one section thereof to be telescoped within the other section of the same, irrespective of whether the result be secured by compression of one member or the expansion of the other member, or both.

\Vherever in the claims I have used the expression means for restoring the com pressd section to its normal size I desire to have it understood that I intend thereby to define any means which will accomplish the said result, whether such means be the inherent elasticity of the material of which the sections of the shoe-form are made or any other means for accomplishing the said result and which will constitute means equivalent to the illustrated embodiment of such means, which, as shown, consists in a spring 7 and the inherent elasticity of the material of which the sections of the shoe-forms are made. \Vherever in the claims I have used the expression distortable I intend thereby to denote that quality by virtue of which the section referred gitudinal movement with relation to each other, one of said sections being elastic and distortable and thereby adapted to telescope with the other section to shorten the form, substantially as described.

2. A hollow shoe-form consisting of a forepart section and a heel-section capable of longitudinal movement with relation to each other, one of said sections being elastic and distortable and thereby adapted to telescope with the other section to shorten the form, and means for connecting them, substantially as described.

3. A hollow shoe-form consisting of a fore part section and a heel-section capable of longitudinal movement with relation to each other, one of said sections being distortable to telescope with the other section to shorten the form, and means for restoring said distortable section to its normal size, substantially as described.

4. A hollow shoe-form consisting of a forepart section and a heel-section capable of longitudinal movement with relation to each other, one of said sections being distortable to telescope with the other section to shorten the form, means for connecting said sections, and means for restoring said distortable section to its normal size, substantially as described.

5. A hollow shoe-form consisting of a forepart section, and a heel-section capable of longitudinal movement with relation to each other, said heel-section being distortable to telescope with the fore-part section to shorten the form, and means for restoring said heelsection to its normal size, substantially as described.

G. A hollow shoe-form consisting of a forepart section, and a heel-section capable of longitudinal movement with relation to each other, said heel-section being distortable to telescope with the fore-part section to shorten the form, means for connecting said sections and means for restoring said heel-section to its normal size, substantially as described.

7. A hollow shoe-form consisting of a forepart section and a heel-section, said heel-section being compressible to telescope within the fore-part section to shorten the form, means for restoring said heel-section to its normal size, and means for preventing the heel-section from being expanded by said restoring means, beyond the size of the forepart section, substantially as described.

8. A hollow shoe-form consisting of a forepart section and a heel-section, said heel-section being compressible to telescope within the fore-part section to shorten the form, In testimony whereof I affix my signature means for connecting said sections, means for in presence of two witnesses.

restoring said heel-section to its normal size,

and means for preventing the heel-section 5 from being expanded by'said restoring means, Witnesses:

beyond the size of the fore-part section, sub- HORACE VAN EVEREN,

stantially as described. T. HART ANDERSON.

WALTER L. O. NILESi 

